Ronan named as first headline act for Godiva

THE first headlining act to play this year’s Godiva Festival has been announced.

Ronan Keating will be the main act to take to the stage on Sunday September 2.

However, this news means his appearance at the Ricoh Arena at the end of this month has been cancelled.

The Life is a Rollercoaster and When You Say Nothing At All star was bringing a one-off show to the Ricoh Arena’s Ericsson Indoor Arena on Friday March 30.

The gig forms part of Coventry Live – a programme of live music concerts set to take place in the Ericsson Indoor Arena at the Ricoh Arena this spring.

Gabrielle was also set to join Ronan on March 30, and Jonas Blue was set to play the Ricoh on April 1.

However, the cancellation of Ronan’s performance means he will now be headlining Godiva Festival.

All those who have purchased tickets for Ronan Keating will be given a full refund including the booking fee.

People who purchased tickets online will have their accounts automatically credited and those who paid cash in person at the Ricoh Arena, will need to go direct to the venue.

In addition, talks are underway to reschedule performances by Gabrielle and Jonas Blue. People who have already booked tickets for Jonas Blue will also receive a full refund.

Coventry City Council’s Event Manager, Lee House said: “Obviously we are very disappointed to have to cancel the original dates for Ronan and Jonas as we appreciate those who had purchased tickets would have been looking forward to attending the concerts.

“However, in the wake of so many major music events planned for this year, we have taken the decision to move Ronan Keating to the Godiva Festival to ensure the maximum amount of people could enjoy him and raise the bar at the first Godiva Festival following the announcement of being UK City of Culture.

“We continue our bold ambition to work with a number of partners delivering a great programme of live music for the city.

“We feel Ronan will be an excellent addition to the Godiva bill and I’m sure the fact that it’s free will be a great incentive for many people to come along to the festival.

“We also wanted to give ticketholders as much notice as possible of the cancellation so they could make alternative plans.

“All ticketholders will be get a full refund including their booking fee, and once again, we’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the changes. Coventry Godiva Festival 2018 will take place in the War Memorial Park from August 31 to September 2.